Mohel

A ( he, מוֹהֵל , Ashkenazi pronunciation , plural: , arc, מוֹהֲלָא , "circumciser") is a Jew trained in the practice of , the "covenant of circumcision".

Etymology

The noun ( in Aramaic), meaning "circumciser", is derived from the same verb stem as (circumcision). The noun appeared for the first time in the 4th century as the title of a circumciser (Shabbat (Talmud) 156a).

Origins of circumcision in Judaism

For Jews, male circumcision is mandatory as it is prescribed in the Torah. In the Book of Genesis, it is described as a mark of the covenant of the pieces between Yahweh and the descendants of Abraham:

In Leviticus:

Functions

Biblically, the infant's father () is commanded to perform the circumcision himself. However, as most fathers are not comfortable or do not have the training, they designate a . The is specially trained in circumcision and the rituals surrounding the procedure. Many are doctors or rabbis (and some are both) or cantors and are required to receive appropriate training both from the religious and medical fields.

Traditionally, the uses a scalpel to circumcise the newborn. Today, doctors and some non-Orthodox use a perforating clamp before they cut the skin. The clamp makes it easier to be precise and shortens recovery time. Orthodox have rejected perforating clamps, arguing that by crushing and killing the skin it causes a great amount of unnecessary pain to the newborn, cutting off the blood flow completely, which according to Jewish law is dangerous to the child and strictly forbidden, and also renders the (foreskin) as cut prior to the proper ritual cut.

Under Jewish law, a must draw blood from the circumcision wound. Most do it by hand with a suction device, but some follow the traditional practice of doing it by mouth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning in 2012 about the health implications of the latter practice, citing 11 cases of neonatal Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and two recorded fatalities. A 2013 review of cases of neonatal HSV infections in Israel identified ritual circumcision as the source of HSV-1 transmission in 31.8% of the cases.

Even up until today, many list the names and birthdates of the boys they circumcise in little booklets. These books have become important documents for genealogical scholarship. Increasingly, these notes on circumcision are being digitalized.

Female

According to traditional Jewish law, in the absence of a Jewish male expert, a woman that has the required skills is also authorized to perform the circumcision, provided that she is Jewish. Non-Orthodox Judaism allows female , called (, plural of , , feminine of ), without restriction. In 1984, Dr. Deborah Cohen became the first certified Reform Jewish ; she was certified by the Berit Mila Program of Reform Judaism.

In popular culture

In the popular sitcom Seinfeld, a played by Charles Levin appears in the episode ''The Bris''.

References

External links

*{{Commons category-inline, Mohels

Jewish religious occupations